AB 32 at Risk from Big Oil Ballot Initiative Backing

Valero Energy Corp., a Texas oil company, and a California taxpayer advocacy group have been exposed as the main funders behind a petition to put a hold on AB 32 — California’s Global Warming Solutions Act that aims to bring greenhouse gas emissions to a 1990 level by 2020.  Valero has a direct stake in stopping the passage of AB 32, as they run large oil refineries out of California that would be significantly impacted by the legislation’s implementation.

According to The New York Times, Goddard Claussen, a public relations firm out of Sacramento has been hired to gather the 435,000 signatures necessary to put this measure on California’s November ballot.  The firm is ironically calling the campaign the California Jobs Initiative, arguing that there will be significant job losses if AB 32 should pass.  This recent Huffington Post blog gives a solid debunking of such claims, pointing out that in fact the New Green Economy has been doing quite the opposite – creating jobs, spurring innovation and improving Californians’ quality of life.  Using this tactic of pitting the economy against the environment, the goal of this ballot initiative is to delay AB 32 until California’s unemployment level drops from its current 12.5 rate to below six percent.

Until June, there is no certainty that this initiative will end up on November’s ballot.  However, be sure that this will be a bloody battle in the months ahead as the Governor’s race heats up around the issues of unemployment and climate change.  Stay tuned for updates and in the meantime check out these recent editorials:

Repealing AB 32 would be a disaster for California
AB 32 foes are slick – and predictable
Landmark California clean-air measure deserves fair chance to succeed

Lesley Lammers is a freelance writer and green living enthusiast based in San Francisco. Prior to committing herself fulltime to journalism, she advocated sustainable agriculture, clean water and healthy fisheries at Environmental Defense Fund. Her writing focuses on finding the connections between the environment, food and social justice. Lesley has written for The New York Times as well as Environmental Defense Fund’s Oceans Program blog, EDFish.

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